Governor Walker’s victory speech in recall election (PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
The governor’s biggest regret and best highlight for the year sound pretty much the same.
Governor Scott Walker wraps up another year in office. He has one big regret: the recall election and the grueling campaign that preceded it. “It’s something that was out of my control, but I’d love to have not had a recall, not just for myself personally, but because I think for six months of this year a lot of employers were kind of sitting on their hands and waiting. And so it’d be nice if we didn’t have that, but it’s done. June 5th was a good day, not so much just because personally I won — although, obviously, I’m happy I did — but more because it was over; it done. We’ve moved on.”
Opponents chant as Walker recall signatures are carried into the GAB offices. (PHOTO: Jackie Johnson)
It all started in 2011 when Walker passed the collective bargaining bill. Opponents called it a power grab. That led to a year and a half of political turmoil and record campaign spending. It ended with Walker becoming the first governor in U.S. history to win a recall election.
Perhaps that’s why the governor also named the recall election the highlight of the past year in office. “Obviously it’s a nice thing to win. If nothing else, I went down in history as the first governor ever elected twice in the same term, but on a serious note, just the fact that that’s done.”
Walker also mentions as a highlight the week following the recall when he hosted a so-called brat summit at the executive residence for all 132 lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.
AUDIO: Jackie Johnson report 1:30